Olympic cycling - track and road (may contain spoilers)

[Mike_P]

Heard the calmer Rob Hatch on 5Live this morning saying MVP was the only MTBer who thought a ramp which had been in training at the location he crashed was still there. Yet more Dutch miscommunication.

 

[matticus]

Still pretty graceless to keep on about not being allowed radios so much and credit the winner so little.

I imagine they are facing a lot of questions about the *uck-up, not so many about the winner. And can you be sure the journalists will report everything nice they say, based on your experience of journalists??
We can't really know from the filtered info we get. Maybe Cecilie was the smart manipulative one, who played the nice girl to camera, then slagged her off later, and the Dutch did the reverse! <not a serious suggestion>

 

[matticus]

EF riders seem to be able to.

Do you think there's more to it? :-/

 

[Dogtrousers]

For some reason I'm always alert for non winners - in any sport - giving credit to the winner in interviews. Ditto for the talking heads doing the analysis. It's depressingly rare.

A British woman has just been beaten by a Korean in the Taekwondo. Loads of coulda shoulda woulda analysis about the defeated party. Not a word of credit to the athlete who actually beat her.

 

[rich p]

And the Swiss take 1,2 and 3 in the women's MTB. Well, they do have an awful lot of mountains!

 

[Adam4868]

Do you think there's more to it? :-/

I think it's good marketing

 

[mjr]

Maybe Cecilie was the smart manipulative one, who played the nice girl to camera, then slagged her off later, and the Dutch did the reverse! <not a serious suggestion>

Cecille was probably the mastermind who told the Dutch only Plichta was ahead, so iratewas she that they would not work and chase! (also not serious)

 

[andrew_s]

She won the silver medal. Great effort.
Could she have won gold?

Probably not.
20-25 seconds down at T2, which is puncture time, 1m14 down at the finish.

 

[Beebo]

Probably not.
20-25 seconds down at T2, which is puncture time, 1m14 down at the finish.

I think you’re right.
She seemed very happy with 2nd but had to run hard on the first lap to make contact.

 

[matticus]

For some reason I'm always alert for non winners - in any sport - giving credit to the winner in interviews. Ditto for the talking heads doing the analysis. It's depressingly rare.

A British woman has just been beaten by a Korean in the Taekwondo. Loads of coulda shoulda woulda analysis about the defeated party. Not a word of credit to the athlete who actually beat her.

It is nice to see that kind of good grace, but I view it as a bonus. I tend to forgive people like our Taekwondo woman. Partly because:
- in sport you're focusing on your performance, striving to win, right up until that final whistle or being knocked on the floor. And partly;
- interview questions are ALWAYS about you. "How do you feel - could you have done more? Was the <blah> injury holding you back?" so they probably subconsciously start preparing answers to the usual questions.

I take a bit more umbrage at the selfish winners. I was always taught to shake hands with the kid I've just beaten - it's the FIRST thing you do. It irritates me at Wimbleydon finals when the winner collapses on their back (no, you won't get an Oscar daaahling), then prays, then salutes each side of the crowd .... then finally jogs to the net where the other poor schmuck is patiently waiting to shake their hand.

 

[matticus]

More womens RR stuff ...

Anna (AUT) posted this on Anna (NED)'s instagram page:

 

[yello]

The quotes in this look similar to that: https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/an...ce-radios-led-to-confusion-at-tokyo-olympics/

This is an interesting statement...

We underestimated Anna Kiesenhofer as a Dutch team

So they had made some assessment of her? She wasn't a complete unknown. Were they aware she was in the breakaway and, more to the point, had gone out alone from it? They messed up somewhere, and I can understand that they'll want to have a look at where and what happened, but that's for the Dutch team to address indoors. I'd rather read some good in acknowledging Kiesenhofer's ride.

 

[yello]

It irritates me at Wimbleydon finals when the winner collapses on their back (no, you won't get an Oscar daaahling), then prays, then salutes each side of the crowd .... then finally jogs to the net where the other poor schmuck is patiently waiting to shake their hand.

Making them wait is the final ignominy?

Nah, I'm sure it's not meant like that. I would imagine the first emotion is one of release and relief.

 

[matticus]

Nah, I'm sure it's not meant like that. I would imagine the first emotion is one of release and relief.

Yes of course
But I think an etiquette has been lost somewhere ... I suspect if you watched a 60s final you'd mostly see them shake hands first. That doesn't mean they cared any less about the match.

 

[yello]

FWIW, I'm not a fan of the fist pumping and hollering but I accept that's just my genteel sensibilities (and, to a lesser extent, my dislike of victory celebrations) being challenged.

You've won a point in a tennis match matey, not saved the planet from certain doom.